"What happened next, Uncle Lao?" asked a black-haired youth, eyes dark and starry like the night sky above.
Lao chuckled as he took a sip from his jade wine cup, watching the fire with calm amusement.
"That's for you to find out… once you've finished your body tempering routine," he teased.
A soft groan came from the nearby bed, where a thin, pale boy lay wrapped in a patchwork quilt. His silver eyes were dim, but hopeful.
"Big Brother Tian, hurry and finish training so Uncle Lao can finish the story!" the boy called out weakly.
"Fine, fine," Tian replied with a grin, stretching his arms. "But Uncle, don't go back on your word again."
He turned and jogged off toward the courtyard's edge, where a worn stone training pillar awaited him.
Lao watched him go, a quiet smile curving on his lips. "Brother Shen… he takes after you in every way," he murmured to himself.
Then came a more hesitant voice. "Uncle Lao…"
Lao turned to see the sickly youth Kong Ming looking up at him with uncertain eyes.
"What is it, Ming'er?" he asked gently.
"Do you think… I'll ever stop being a burden to you and Big Brother?" Ming'er's voice trembled, barely above a whisper.
Lao set his wine aside and walked to the boy's bedside, kneeling beside him. He ruffled the boy's hair softly, chuckling.
"A burden? The only burden here is this old man," he said lightly. "I'm relying on you two as the last pieces of hope left in this world."
Ming'er looked away, ashamed.
"I know what you're thinking," Lao continued. "You were born with a weak physique, struggling just to stand… while your brother was blessed with monstrous strength that would make even emperors envious."
The boy nodded silently.
"You must think the heavens are unfair, don't you?" Lao asked.
"I don't need to be blessed," Ming'er whispered. "Just… strong enough to be of use."
Lao sighed, looking up at the drifting clouds.
"Your brother inherited the power of your father's line—but you… you're something different. A rare mutation between two powerful bloodlines. I refuse to believe any child of Kong Shen and Yu Xuelan would be ordinary."
Ming'er looked up in surprise. It was rare to hear Lao speak of their parents.
"That's why I've made a decision," Lao said. "I'll be leaving for a short time to find an old acquaintance someone who might know how to treat your condition."
The boy's eyes widened.
"But before I go, I've arranged something. You and your brother have both been accepted into Ironroot Martial School. It's not much, but it's the first step. Next year, the Cloud Seeking Sect will host its recruitment trials."
"If Tian performs well, he'll be allowed to bring you along into the sect as his dependent. And knowing him… he'll make sure you get there."
Ming'er swallowed hard. "But he's already so far ahead…"
Lao nodded. "He's opened thirty-one meridians already—out of the thirty-six required to complete the Body Tempering Realm. And that's with me trying to slow him down."
"The Body Tempering Realm," Lao continued, his tone becoming instructional, "is not just about strength. It's about forging the bones, muscles, and most importantly meridians. Only once all thirty-six are open can one begin circulating spiritual qi… and step onto the true path of cultivation."
Ming'er clenched the edge of his blanket, his fingers shaking.
Lao met his gaze.
"The world is ruthless, Ming'er. Every creature, every clan, every cultivator fights to survive. But it's not the ones with the best talent who reach the peak… it's the ones who never yield."
"Let your limits forge you into the blade that cuts through the heavens."
For a moment, the boy was silent. Then, deep within, something stirred—his blood warmed, his chest tightened.
I will make this useless body submit to my will… and then, the heavens!
Seeing the fire return to Ming'er's silver eyes, Lao smiled.
The moment passed as footsteps echoed across the courtyard. Kong Tian returned, dragging a wild boar over his shoulder. His tunic was soaked with sweat and his arms bore the deep red flush of overexerted muscles.
"Tian'er," Lao called, "how's your progress with the Profound Fist Technique? Have you reached Completion Stage?"
Tian smirked. "See for yourself."
He walked to the crumbling courtyard wall, focused his breath, and struck. His knuckles glowed faintly crimson as his fist slammed into the stone.
CRACK!
The wall shuddered. A web of fractures spread outward from the impact point. Even the fire flickered from the sudden release of force.
Lao raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Not bad. You're beginning to circulate trace amounts of qi with your strikes."
Tian sat beside his brother, wiping sweat from his brow. Ming'er beamed at him.
Then the moment turned quiet.
Ming'er looked up again. "Uncle Lao… you promised to finish the story."
Lao's eyes darkened, the fire's glow dancing in his irises. He nodded slowly.
"So I did."
He gazed into the flames, and the courtyard seemed to fade away.
⸻
"After I escaped, the rest of our team stood alone against the golden demon of the Heaven Supremacy Clan. He was no longer human in any true sense. He had used the Primordial Tome to rebirth his physique—his body was a fortress, his qi corrupted and deep."
"They fought with everything. Your father—Kong Shen—unleashed his Shadow Void Collapse, a technique that devours light and matter itself. It cracked the palace, distorted space… for a moment, I thought it was enough."
"But the golden one emerged from the smoke, missing an arm—laughing."
"'Clever trick,' he said, as his flesh regrew before our eyes. His vitality was beyond comprehension."
"One by one, our comrades fell. Not from lack of strength, but because the enemy they faced had surpassed the boundaries of the mortal world. He wielded a celestial inheritance, his body forged anew."
"Your father was the last one standing. Bloodied, exhausted, but unbent. Even from afar, I could feel his will burning."
Lao's voice slowed. His hand trembled slightly.
"Then… the golden one raised his hand and—"
He stopped.
Ming'er and Tian leaned forward.
"And?" Tian asked.
Lao shook his head slowly.
"That's where my vision ended. I was too far. I saw the explosion… but not what came after."
"The next time I returned, the palace was gone—collapsed into a pit of scorched jade and twisted space. The Heaven Supremacy Clan claimed it was a forbidden technique backlash."
"But… your father's Soul Jade was never shattered."
The fire popped.
Ming'er's breath caught in his throat. "Then he might be…"
Lao's expression was unreadable.
"Hope is a dangerous thing, little ones," he said quietly. "It can lift you to the stars… or shatter you when you fall."
Above them, the clouds passed over the moon. A faint wind rustled through the trees as silence settled over the courtyard once more.